


Dragonsong

by lady_summoner



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, Female Warrior of Light - Freeform, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, Implied Sexual Content, Summoner Warrior of Light - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-01-18 23:59:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12398913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_summoner/pseuds/lady_summoner
Summary: Following the Warrior of Light's triumph over Zenos, an old flame returns...bringing with him a chain of memories.  (In progress)





	1. One-Sided Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> (Here's the start of a WoL/Estinien that's been banging about in my head for a while now.)

Night had come to Ala Mhigo, yet it wasn’t enough to deter its inhabitants from celebrating.  Just hours before, Zenos yae Galvus had met his end at the hands of the Warrior of Light.  With their leader dead, the XII Legion had surrendered. For the first time in years, Ala Mhigo was free.  Even the Alliance guards on duty were slacking...not that Estinien could blame them.  And while the commander in him highly disapproved of what was in front of him, Estinien the man was privately pleased.

_ Piss-arse drunk. _  The sentries standing guard just below him were deep into their cups, several empty bottles around them.  As they started to sing the Ala Mhigan national anthem again-how many times they had been singing it only Halone knew- Estinien dropped down behind them into the shadows and darted into the hallway, not stopping until he reached an alcove.  Pausing, he took a moment to survey his surroundings. 

_ Huh.  I expected this floor to be busier, but… _  Estinien took another glance around.  The building he had entered was one of the more upscale inns in Ala Mhigo.   _ Did they clear out this level just for her?  _  As far as he could tell due to his enhanced senses, the Warrior of Light was on the floor...but she seemed to be the only one.  _  That would make sense, and they’d certainly give her the royal treatment.   _ Even though in his opinion, the guards were lacking…  Straightening, Estinien stepped out of the alcove.  His eyes lit on a more ornately decorated door several yalms down from him.  Yet the ex-dragoon found himself suddenly nervous, his stomach twisting into knots.  He’d not seen the Warrior of Light for awhile, not since Nidhogg’s final attack on Ishgard.  Not to mention how he’d left.  Not saying good-bye to Aymeric and to what remained of his fellow Knights Dragoon was one thing, but the Warrior of Light…

_ Or rather, the woman you were tossing the bedsheets with.   _ Suddenly self-conscious, Estinien strapped his spear to his back.  Then before the nerves overpowered him, he made himself walk towards the door, resting a hand on the latch. 

_ I’ll just...see how she’s doing. _  He could at least do that much for himself.  All he’d had over the past several moons were scraps of stories and half-heard rumors, both of which had left him with a knot of fear in his belly and had given him a new set of nightmares.  But he’d had to force those feelings aside and focus on his self-appointed mission, otherwise he would have never been a completely free man…

_ Go in, take a peek, leave _ .  Finding the door locked, Estinien paused to withdraw a lockpick from one of the small pouches strapped around his waist  The lock didn’t stand a chance against his expert ministrations, and he slowly pushed the door open.  As he stepped into the room, something clicked against one of his greaves, and he looked down.  A empty bottle had bumped against his toe, still holding remnants of a yellow liquid--an Ether potion, Estinien’s brain supplied.  As he closed the door behind him, Estinien caught sight of another empty bottle, and then another, and a another…  

_ What the… _  Estinien blinked, and then reached for a nearby lamp-crystal, activating it.  As the warm glow spilled into the room, the elezen felt his blood run cold.  The floor was littered with empty bottles and pieces of armor.  

_ Twelve have mercy! _  Composure lost, Estinien rushed for the nearest open door in the room.  The fears of the past moons came roaring back--the Warrior of Light dying someplace where he couldn’t reach her, or captured by the Empire to be used in their horrific experiments, or even far worse, winding up in the hands of Zenos…  Estinien’s clawed fingers wrapped around the wood of the doorframe as he barreled through, a name rising to his tongue as his voice prepared to cry it out.  Then as his mind processed what was in front of him, the wave of relief that washed over him nearly brought Estinien to his knees.

_ Oh praise Halone…  _  In the bed before him, the Warrior of Light was sound asleep.  What was left of her armor was scattered in a trail from the doorway, along with even more empty potion bottles.  Her skin was pale, and she was curled up under several layers of sheets and blankets, hugging a pillow close to her.  The sight was enough to make Estinien push forward, hastily unstrapping his gauntlets so he could press two fingers against the Warrior of Light’s neck.  Another wave of relief rippled through him as he felt her pulse pound against his fingertips, and he bowed his head.

“Thank you.”  He whispered.  Unable to help himself, Estinien gently traced the delicate curve of the Warrior of Light’s neck, letting his fingers trail over her face and tangle in her brown hair before he leaned over, inhaling deeply.  The scent of vanilla and spices washed over him, and Estinien felt both relaxation and exhaustion overwhelm him.  Whenever he and the Warrior of Light were able to steal moments together, he had found he’d been able to sleep better-or at least longer.

_ I shouldn’t... _  Longing rose in Estinien.   Despite how he had left Ishgard...he had missed the Warrior of Light.  Her smile, her touch, and the way she had stood up to him when he was being an arse.  Mind made up, he straightened.  What he was about to do would more than likely get him killed, but…

_ I’ll at least be in a position to apologize.  _  With a wry chuckle, Estinien stepped away from the bed.  Setting his spear to the side, he deftly started to undo his new armor, the exhaustion making him fumble the latches and straps several times.  When he’d removed the last piece and was clad in nothing but a pair of pants, he climbed into the bed.  The mattress was firm, the sheets cool, and the contrasts made Estinien groan in appreciation. As if sensing his presence, the Warrior of Light mumbled in her sleep, shifting so that she could spoon into him.  Estinien’s lips twitched in a faint smile, and he closed his eyes.  Memories lurked just on the edge of his consciousness as he drifted off to sleep, one arm coiled protectively over the Warrior of Light.  

 

_ “-my blood fair sang in anticipation of our meeting.” _


	2. A Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first time the Azure Dragoon and the Warrior of Light encountered each other, within the walls of Camp Dragonhead...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Because you all just know Haurchefant would be the type to pull pranks. And drag out [pardon the pun] introducing the Warrior of Light)

Power hummed in the air.  He could feel it even though the protective plates of his drachen mail, taste it, smell it.  It called to his own, vibrating in his blood and setting his inner dragon astir.  Estinien came to a stop, looking about the main courtyard of Camp Dragonhead.  Everything appeared to be normal, yet there was no sign of the strange presence…

“Is everything alright?”  The cheerful voice of Haurchefant broke into Estinien’s thoughts.  

“...I don’t know.”  Again Estinien looked around the courtyard.  “I sense something.”

“Dragons?”  There was no mistaking the sudden tenseness that had entered the Silver Fuller’s voice--and with good reason.  A dragon-attack at this time would be near fatal, as Ishgard was still struggling to come up with replacement defenses following the loss of the city wards.  Relief flashed over his features as the Azure Dragoon shook his head.

“No, not dragons.  Something else.”  Haurchefant looked puzzled for several moments, and then a grin suddenly spread over his features.  Estinien blinked at the sudden change of mood.

“Oh.  You’re able to sense  **_her!_ ** ”  He exclaimed.  His smile only got bigger, and could only be described as a cross between a shite-eating grin and sheer delight, Estinien noted.  Either way he was now wary of the other elezen.  Had not Haurchefant told him that Ser Aymeric had wanted to meet him, Estinien would have suspected an infamous Greystone prank.

_ Which is the last thing I need to deal with. _  “Her?”  He repeated.

“Yes yes!  Come, just don’t stand there!”  Haurchefant was practically jovial now, gesturing.  “This way to the intercessory.”  Stubbornly Estinien refused to comply, he wasn’t moving until he got an answer.

“Who’s the ‘her’?”  He repeated.

“The Warrior of Light!”  The answer made Estinien’s eyes widen-and he was grateful for the cover that his helm provided.  “Truth be told, I was wondering if you’d pick up on her or not.  We’ve had to modify the wards around the camp to adjust for her presence, otherwise the alarms would just go off nonstop!”

“Why is the Warrior of Light here?”  Estinien demanded.  Haurchefant frowned, putting his hands on his hips.

“To help us, of course!  Now come on!  She and Aymeric are waiting!”  With a nod Estinien obeyed, falling into lockstep behind the other elezen.  Inwardly his mind was racing-no,  _ reeling _ at the sheer amount of power he was sensing.  He’d heard stories and tales of the Warrior of Light of course, but had always believed that some of them--like most stories, were embellished.   

_ It appears I was wrong. _

  
\------------------------------  
  


She could feel it, a new aetherical surge on the air.  It tingled against the parts of her skin that were exposed, warmed her blood and set Midgardsormr to hissing in the back of her thoughts.  Before the Warrior of Light could react, Aymeric was speaking, glancing towards the entrance.

“Estinien!”  He called.  The intercessory door opened, and the Warrior of Light glanced over.  Haurchefant had entered the room, his normally cheerful face somber.  And behind him…   The Warrior of Light’s breath caught in her throat.

_ Oh...my. _  An elezen clad in spiked black and gold armor stepped out from Haurchefant’s shadow, an air of deceptive casualness about him.  Yet the Warrior of Light immediately knew that was a sham.  From the power she could sense from him--it was restrained but she knew it was there, lurking just beneath the surface--this was a person she would never want to cross.  And while good manners would have dictated her saying hello and not staring, the Warrior of Light found that she couldn’t help herself.  Her blue eyes never left the new arrival as it continued to walk towards Aymeric with slow and careful strides.  On his back, the silver edge of a strange-looking spear gleamed in the lamplight.  There was almost a lazy quality to the way he walked, yet it was plain to see that whoever wore the armor was extremely confident in their skills.  

_ Almost like a dragon _ .  Midgardsormr’s hiss grew even louder at that comparison.  Suppressing a wince, the Warrior of Light pictured a very high wall between her and her still-unwelcome companion mentally.  That done, she continued to survey the armored man as Aymeric spoke.

“May I present to you Ishgard’s Azure Dragoon.”

“An impressive title...though I confess, I know precious little of the order of dragoons.”  Alphinaud replied, curiosity evident on his face.

“They are formidable warriors all.  Yet even among such masters of the lance, Estinien is without equal.”  Aymeric said.  “He, out of all the warriors of Ishgard was chosen to wield the power of dragons, and thus may contend with any Dravanian.”  The Warrior of Light maintained her neutral expression, carefully watching Estinien.

_ So that explains what I’m sensing.  Yet to wield the power of dragons...isn’t that considered heretical?   _ She thought.  Like Alphinaud she didn’t know much of the dragoon order, but she had done some research into Ishgard’s beliefs and customs a while back.  _  Or does he have a special exception from the Holy See to do such a thing?  I suppose it could be like myself and the egis...know your enemy and use his own skills against him.   _ A flicker of movement made the Warrior of Light turn her attention to Estinien, who was looking at her.

“So you are the adventurer of which they spoke...I see now why my blood fair sang in anticipation of our meeting.”  He said.  The Warrior of Light offered a polite nod, suddenly finding herself fighting back a flush.

_ Ishgardian manners, Ishgardian manners… _  Swallowing, the Warrior of Light straightened her posture, flicking a gaze over Estinien again.  The helm covered the majority of his face, leaving only his mouth and upper cheekbones exposed.  Again she could sense his power, stirring her own in response.  Yet...she also was beginning to feel faintly uneasy.

_ Nerves.  You’re nervous. _  The unwelcome guest on her journey was now hovering at her right shoulder.   _ There’s the reason why you’re nervous.  You’re seeing and hearing a dragon in a land that wars with them, and if anyone found out you’d be killed. But you can’t think on that now.  Focus on what’s in front of you! _  Inhaling, the Warrior of Light forced her attention back to the conversation.

But try as she could, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling...nor the fact that her reasoning had a hollow ring to it.


	3. Fire in the Blood (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Estinien reflects on the Warrior of Light's participation in the trial by combat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (smidge bit of theorycraft in chapter. plz enjoy.)
> 
>  
> 
> \-------------

                The rooms were dark when Estinien returned to them, something that he didn’t mind.  While his position as the Azure Dragoon afforded him the chance to live in the Pillars, the silver-haired elezen preferred to live in the dragoon dormitories.  Alberic had done the same, as had the previous Azure before him.  A fire was crackling in the fireplace, and a tray of food was under an aetherical warming-glass.  Walking into his bedroom, Estinien was quick to strip off his armor and place it on the nearby stand.  Now only dressed in a undershirt and short pants, he padded back out into the living room to lift up the glass dome.  Selecting a knight-roll, Estinien bit into the freshly-baked bread, setting the glass to the side and reached for a nearby bottle of cider.  He needed the food and drink to ground him, as the power in his blood had been humming nonstop for the past four hours.

                _If it’s this bad for me, I wonder what it was like for those at ground level_?  The Warrior of Light had fought for her friends’ lives in a trial by combat earlier on in the orn.  But during the battle, something had happened…and the Warrior had lost her temper.  Even from his spot up near the rafters Estinien had felt the aetherical surge, it had been enough to make his teeth ache and cause the dragon within him to stir violently. 

             _It happened when Grinnaux went after that boy._ A silver-haired elezen much like himself-though from what he had heard and seen of the male Leveilleur, the child had certainly been able to hold his own.  But it hadn’t been enough, against the older and more treacherous knight… 

                _Big brother, look what I found!_   The memory rose up out of nowhere, and Estinien’s fingers tightened around the glass.  Silver hair pulled back into a queue, a gap-toothed grin and beaming eyes…

                _No. No, no, no._   The Azure Dragoon squeezed his eyes shut, willing the memory to go away.  He didn’t want to go there.  He didn’t want to think, he didn’t want to remember.  Remembering brought back the nightmares, brought back the pain, brought back the anger.  Remembering caught the Eye’s attention, and when its’ attention was caught, it would begin to whisper.  He’d just barely kept his sanity to begin with when he learned of Alberic’s actions all those years ago…

                _Think of something else, think of something else..._   Unbidden, another image rose to the forefront of Estinien’s mind.  The Warrior of Light standing in the area, fire blooming over her skin… It had coiled and wrapped itself around her as it would a lover, yet it did not damage her clothes.  It had rippled through her hair, it had been the sheer rage he’d seen in her eyes.  For those breathless few moments, as she had reached inside of herself and tapped only-Twelve-knew-what-power she herself could only wield, she had looked every inch a vengeful goddess.  The scream that had come from her throat had been a warrior’s cry, and the creature that had ripped itself free from her body’s flames could have been a demon pulled straight from one of the Church’s illuminated manuscripts.  And before Estinien could even draw in a breath, the Warrior of Light had reached for that power again, nearly incinerating Grinnaux in a pillar of fire.  Exhaling, Estinien took several more bites out of the roll, and a long swallow of the cool cider.

                “Remind me to never get on your bad side.”  He muttered, turning around to walk back over to the couch.  Sitting down, Estinien reached for another bread-roll.  The food and drink were beginning to do their jobs, he could feel the tension of the past several days draining out of him.  His aether was beginning to calm as well, which released another knot of tension from his gut.  Leaning back as he slowly munched on the bread, Estinien let the Warrior of Light return to his thoughts.  He’d been surprised when he’d first seen her, she honestly hadn’t been what he was expecting.  But the look in her eyes and the way she’d boldly looked him over had told him otherwise-this was no milkmaid or famer’s daughter thrust into something beyond her ken.  She’d been tense as well, maybe perhaps expecting him to lash out in some way.

                _As if I would dare want to attack her._ Yes, he was curious about her power—and being a dragoon and Ishgardian, Estinien did enjoy a good fight.  But the Warrior of Light was too much of a wild card for him to even consider safely engaging in combat.  The taint of Garuda hung heavy on her, which meant that she probably possessed another one of those ‘egis’.  And while the Azure Dragoon considered himself a master at jumping through the skies, he didn’t exactly want to test his training against an entity that could control the wind itself.  Not yet anyway.  Holding the image of the brown-haired Midlander female in his mind, Estinien raised his glass in a toast.

                “To your victory…and to things potentially becoming very interesting around here.”


	4. Awareness (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Warrior of Light first sees Estinien without the helm, and finds herself intrigued...much to her dismay.

                The inn room was small, but it at least was warm.  Shooting a glance towards the window, the Warrior of Light sighed.  Beyond the glass a blizzard raged, howling winds kicking up gusts of snow and ice.  The weather was so bad that the dragoons did not even dare patrol-she had heard Estinien issuing orders over the linkpearl shortly after their arrival at Falcon’s Nest.  Allowing herself to flop onto the bed, the Warrior of Light looked up at the ceiling.

                _Is this even going to work?_   Only Alphinaud was potentially crazy enough to come up with such a plan.  Seeking out Lady Iceheart’s help to parlay between the Ishgardians and the Dravanians…and then who should want to come along, of all people…  A rapping at the door made the Warrior of Light sit up.

                “Who is it?”

                “Might I come in, my lady?”  Estinien’s voice made the Warrior of Light sit up, eyes flicking about the room to make sure everything was neat and in order.

                “Y-yes!”  She watched as the door opened.  “Did you get everything settled with…”  The Warrior of Light found herself trailing off, eyes widening in surprise.  “Your…men…”

                “Aye.  Thank you for asking.”  Estinien had removed his helm and was carrying it under one arm.  Silver hair was pulled back into a messy and smooshed bun, and the planes of his face were strongly pronounced.  Dark circles lined storm-blue eyes, and the Warrior of Light found that she couldn’t look away.   

                _Oh no.  He's cute_.  Handsome, if she were honest.  While his features looked cold and haughty, there was a ruggedness about them, the look of a man who had dedicated himself to hard work.  And it just so happened, that was something that was rather attractive to the Warrior of Light.   _No, no no, get a hold of yourself!_   Ruthlessly the small hyur forced her mind to get back on track, to focus on what Estinien was saying.

                “-will have to check come morning to see if this storm will let up.  If it has abated some, we can probably speak to Redwall and see what he has to say.”  Estinien frowned.  “My lady, are you alright?”

                “Yes! Sorry.  I’m fine, I’m fine.”  _You moony-maiden idiot!_   “It’s just a touch of aether-sickness.  Teleporting between here and Thanalaan and then back again has probably taken more out of me than I thought.” _Change the subject, change the subject, change the subject._   “Are your rooms satisfactory?  If anything, you should have this one.” 

                “I might be a dragoon, but even I know good manners.”  Estinien said, shaking his head.  “Besides, it’s no hardship, and young Master Alphinaud assures me he doesn’t snore.”  He paused.  “He doesn’t, does he?”  The Warrior of Light giggled.

                “No, he doesn’t.  But if you give off enough body heat his Carbuncle might come and snuggle in.”  She giggled.  Estinien frowned, considering the idea of the aetherical fluff cuddling in with him.

                “I shall ask him to make sure it doesn’t do that then.”  He said.  “But as for the reason why I’m here.  The cook downstairs has been able to produce what appears to be quite a healthy-looking feast for us and the other occupants, and I’m certain you would feel better with some hot food in you.”

                _I’d certainly feel better with you…oh Twelve what are you thinking?! Stop, stop, stop!_  “That would be lovely.”  The Warrior of Light said, her voice perfectly calm.  “Can you give me a few minutes and I’ll come downstairs?”  Estinien nodded, offering a quick bow.

                “I’ll let the young master know then.”  He said.  The Warrior of Light smiled, watching as the dragoon turned and left.  The minute the door closed, she snatched up the pillow and thrust it onto her face, muffling a scream.

 _Of all the times, now?!_ Normally the Warrior of Light kept herself aloof.  Fighting beast tribes, primals, Garleans, Asicans-and whomever and whatever else did a number on one’s libido.  And even if she did express an interest in someone, she couldn’t be certain that it would be returned or her status in society possibly being taken advantage of.  And then the final ignominy-that as a woman, she’d be considered to have loose morals by some were she to have a bed partner (or more).  So for her to suddenly notice how handsome Estinien was, along with the mental reminder that it'd been a very long time since a man had looked at her like a woman...

                _Stop it.  No._  Gnashing her teeth together, the Warrior of Light rose.  There were bigger problems to deal with than with her brain realizing how good Estinien looked…nor the rumors that circulated around in Ishgard about the prowess of dragoon lovers.  She was going to go downstairs, get some hot food, then come up and take advantage of the snowy weather to curl in in bed and rest.  Sleep was what she needed, sleep and to focus on the current problems.  Not fantasies.

                “I must be more stressed than I thought.”  She muttered.


	5. Awareness (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Estinien finds he's beginning to regret accompanying the Warrior of Light on Alphinaud's mission. Not for what they're doing, but for what he's beginning to feel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (short and sweet was this chapter, because I found it a little hard to get into Estinien's head! Rating will also be bumped due to sexual mention)
> 
> \------------

               Half of him was beginning to regret choosing to come along.  The other half knew that it had been the right thing to do.  If Nidhogg were to return to his senses his attention would focus on the Eye, giving Ishgard more time to rebuild its defenses.  For a mercy the Eye itself was silent, which meant Estinien’s mind was blissfully silent.  Or as silent as it could be, considering what he was mulling over.  Repressing a sigh, Estinien picked up a stick to poke at the campfire.  On one side Alphinaud was curled up in a bedroll, sleeping soundly.  On the other, the Warrior of Light was the same way.  Unable to help himself, Estinien turned his head.  In the flames’ light he could see there was no stress or strain on the Warrior of Light’s face.  She was completely and totally relaxed, free for several hours at least of the burdens she carried. 

                _…She is pretty._   Estinien wasn’t blind, nor was he a monk.  While his duties as the Azure Dragoon and dealing with the Eye kept him busy, Estinien would seek out a willing partner whenever the need arose.  A quick glamour prism was enough to partly disguise him (because really, there were so many silver-haired elezen in the city) and he would be set.  He didn’t care about social standing, though for the sake of keeping things simple he’d patronize the brothels in the Brume.  Even before he’d been chosen as the Eye’s wielder, Estinien preferred his relationships with the opposite sex to be fleeting.  Otherwise he’d be distracted from his end goal, which was his revenge on Nidhogg.  But for the past two days, he’d been trying to ignore the fact that the Warrior of Light had seemingly been checking off every single point that he liked personally for a woman.  Pretty? Check.  Competent?  Extremely so, check.  Smart? Check.  Fighting?  Spellcasting wasn’t his preferred mode of combat but having seen the Warrior of Light fight three times, with the third allowing him to be up close and personal, Estinien couldn’t deny that watching the Warrior of Light weave her spells was mesmerizing.  And she was practical about her magic.  No time-consuming (and making one scramble to guard her) spellcasting (something that the boy could do well to learn), and she was always quick to keep moving.  Her practicality had extended to other things as well, she hadn’t blinked an eye at the fact that they’d needed to make camp for some rest after the events of the Amphitheater. No, after he’d led her and the boy to a safe cave, she’d gone about setting up bedrolls and digging out rations. 

_You’ve been stressed.  And probably the fact that you haven’t taken care of anything in that department other than your hand is the reason why you’re taking notice._   Estinien huffed, poking at the fire again. 

          “Do not touch.”  He muttered.  He was dealing with the Warrior of Light of all things, the woman who had come to help his city.  Engaging in anything other than business possibly meant blowback for Ishgard.  Not to mention Count Fortemps would possibly have closed ranks regarding his honored guest and ward.   Female hyur-especially if they were pretty-tended to be targets of the more unscrupulous elezen men of the city. 

_You can ignore it.  Just keep things as they are now.  No need to make everything complicated, because it’ll become so soon enough._ The thought of having to parlay with Iceheart made Estinien set his teeth, anger bubbling up inside him.  Personally, he would have preferred running the heretic queen through with his spear for what she’d done to the city.  Vishap’s attack had seen the Horde breeching the city walls, attacking the Brume and the other surrounding areas.  And with the attack having come out of nowhere, there hadn’t been any chances for people to find safety… 

         “Mmm.”  Train of thought broken, Estinien looked back over.  The Warrior of Light was moving about in her bedroll, sleepily stretching before lying still again.  A frown crossed her face briefly before her face smoothed out, her breathing deep and even.  The elezen exhaled, looking away.  Between the Warrior of Light and the memories Alphinaud kept invoking of his younger brother, part of him was very much regretting coming along on this desperate mission.   The sooner they could reach some type of conclusion, the better.


	6. Awkward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Warrior of Light is able to reunite with some close friends, while the Azure Dragoon finds himself strangely annoyed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This was...another difficult chapter, considering that I got inspired to add in a major theorycraft. We know that the Warrior of Light has fellow Echo-blessed fighting companions who aid her with the primals and possibly dungeons. They are also Scions, and we know that some of the Scions were able to escape the Crystal Braves and go into hiding until it was safe for them to return. Given at this point in the storyline that they weren't too far from learning of Ravana, I decided to introduce the idea of the Companions coming to help. It also made sense to me that Haurchefant would have possibly started to put out feelers to try and track down more Scions, given his fervent support of the Warrior of Light.
> 
> Please look forward to it. *bow*)
> 
> \------------------------------------

                No tutor of deportment, no manual for manners-Gridanian, Ishgardian, Ul’dahn…absolutely, positively, nothing in the world could have prepared the Warrior of Light for the level of awkward that hung over their small group currently. 

 _Good idea in theory…debatable how it’s going to play out in the practical._   Iceheart-no, _Ysayle_ , had joined their party an orn and a half ago.  She would be their guide into Dravania, where the hope now was to treat with Hraesvelgr.  The Warrior of Light had never traveled with an enemy she’d defeated before…let alone one who had been a primal.  Add in her discomfort over Estinien-who had turned into (she would swear to all the Twelve) a silently judging presence and a completely oblivious-to-the-undercurrents of the situation Alphinaud…the level of awkward was too damn high.  With a sigh, the Warrior of Light shifted her weight on her chocobo.  Her chest ached as well, a reminder from her sudden reconnection to one of the Crystals.

                _Think about that.  Focus on that instead of him._   The Warrior of Light lifted a hand to her chest.  Somehow she’d overcome Midgarsomar’s seal.  If she could get one Crystal’s blessing back, surely that meant she could recover the others _.  But I don’t know what I did.  All that happened was that we were speaking with Ysayle, it was decided that we possibly have more of a chance speaking with Hraesveglr because Nidhogg may no longer be sane…_

                “Ware!”  Estinien’s shout jerked the Warrior of Light out of her thoughts, and she looked skyward.  Three black chocobos had appeared out of nowhere, flying straight down for them.  Immediately the Warrior of Light pulled her bird to a halt, gripping the reins with one hand while she rested the other on her grimoire. 

                “Your people?!”  She heard Estinien snarl at Ysayle.

                “No!  I’ve given orders for them to stand down for now!”

                “Wait!”  Alphinaud exclaimed.  He stood up in his saddle.  “One of them-the colors, I recognize it!”  The trio of black chocobos landed, their riders jumping off.  One figure was in white and gray armor, and the Warrior of Light felt her heart stop.  With a scream she flung herself off her own mount, racing forward.

                “Augustine!”

 

                _Augustine?_ Estinien watched as the Warrior of Light and the boy raced towards the group in front of them.  The Warrior of Light threw her arms around a black-haired hyuran man in white and gray armor, while the boy was swept up by a Roegadyn dressed in white.  _Who in the hells…_   Movement from his left side made Estinien turn, Ysayle had nudged her chocobo forward.

                “Their companions.”  She said softly.  “Or rather, hers.” 

                “Hers?”  Estinien repeated, and then it struck him.  _Oh…those companions._   It was said that the Warrior of Light was aided by others who were blessed just like her.  They had fought with her against the Garleans, and against the primals…

                **_Oh._**   Unable to help himself, Estinien shot Ysayle a side glance.  The female elezen’s face was expressionless.  This is interesting. 

                “Ser Wrymblood!”  Alphinaud called, waving an arm.  “Lady Ysayle!  Come and meet our friends!”  The Warrior of Light turned.  The man named Augustine still had an arm around her shoulders, and Estinien frowned.

                _He’s certainly being familiar…_

 

 

                Augustine turned out to be a free-paladin, the Roegadyn woman was named Silent Jewel and was a white mage.  Rounding up the trio was a Miqo’te Seeker named D’rhen, who bore the staff of a black mage.  And as it turned out, they had been in hiding.

                “We were actually in Thalanlan the night of that godsdamned party.”  Silent said.  The group had relocated to a nearby cave to better hear the story.  “Amalj'aa raids, and we were the ones sent to take care of it.”

                “A group of Crystal Braves ambushed us as we were returning to Black Brush.”  Augustine said, gesturing.  “We disabled them, D’rhen triggered a portal for us to Mor Dhona, but then...”

                “We ran into more Crystal Braves.”  The Seeker said, silver tail twitching.  Alphinaud bowed his head.

                “I bear the responsibility for that.”  He said.

                “Master Alphinaud, you’re not the one who put the thought in their heads to come after us.”  Silent said, her tone stern yet gentle. 

                “How did you escape?”  The Warrior of Light asked.  Estinien noted with some irritation she was sitting next to Augustine.

                “The Domans hid us initially, and then we got a message from Camp Dragonhead.”  The paladin said.  His voice had a strong Ishgardian accent.  “The Silver Fuller was putting out feelers, actually trying to locate us.”  Both the Warrior of Light and Alphinaud jerked in surprise.  “So, one night, we bundled up and snuck out.”

                “And…was that…”  The Warrior of Light trailed off.  Her fellow Crystal-bearers came from a variety of backgrounds, but Augustine’s was slightly colorful, and she didn’t dare want to speak of it in front of Estinien and Ysayle.  The paladin grinned.

                “No problems so far.”  He said.   
  
                “Is it just the three of you?”  Estinien interrupted.  He ignored the stares of Silent and D’rhen, focusing on Augustine.  He couldn’t help himself, the man put him on edge.  Or rather, it was his familiarity with the Warrior of Light that was getting on the dragoon’s nerves…

_Wait.  Wait a minute.  What in the seven hells am I…_

                “For now, yes.”  Augustine answered. 

                “We didn’t find out until three orns ago about what you were up to.  Then it was us racing to catch up.”  Silent said.  “When we left however, Lord Hauchefant told us that another group was coming, but he’d send them to catch up with us.”  She paused.  “That is, if you want them to, and if you want us to accompany you.”  The Warrior of Light and Alphinaud looked at each other.

                “We are technically on a mission of peace.”  Alphinaud said.  The Warrior of Light risked a quick look at Ysayle.  The elezen woman had crossed her arms and was listening quietly.  “The hope would be not to have any need for you, but…”

                “It would be remiss to not have some sort of backup if something should happen.”  Estinien interjected.  Ysayle shot him a glare.

                “Pray tell, what is that supposed to mean?”  She asked, her tone frosty. 

                _Oh hell._   The Warrior of Light cleared her throat loudly, attempting to catch everyone’s attention.

                “Alphinaud is right.  We are seeking peace first.”  She said.  “But, on the off chance something could go wrong…do you think you and the others could stay at Falcon’s Nest?”  Augustine and the other Companions looked at each other.

                “We can, but…” 

                “The problem with that is that if something happened, it would take us a while to reach you.”  D’rhen said.  The Warrior of Light bit her lower lip.  Except for the past few moons, she had always been able to rely on the network of Echo-blessed people like herself.  To have that support back, but then to have to leave it…

                “It can’t be helped.”  She said after several moments.  “Augustine, Silent, D’rhen.  Please return to Falcon’s Nest, get word to Camp Dragonhead.  Have the others join you here, and when we cross into Dravania, I’ll contact you, D’rhen, to set up a portal point.”  Estinien scowled.  He didn’t like the idea-and nor did he like the look that had crossed the paladin’s face.  For his sake, he hoped it was just disagreement with the Warrior of Light’s decree.

 _The hells am I thinking?!_ Across from him, the Warrior of Light bit her lower lip.

 _Please, please let me have made the right decision._   Her eyes flicked towards Estinien.  Was it her imagination, or did she sense irritation coming off the Azure Dragoon?  The small hyuran woman closed her eyes.

_This will work out.  This will work out._


	7. Distracted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A grumpy Estinien finds the distractions are only increasing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (More Companion of Light theorycrafting here-I am taking some liberty with the canon for the sake of creativity, so I do apologize. Though I would imagine for the eventual fight with Ravana, the WoL and Alphinaud would have been scrambling to get some type of order going. 
> 
> To a degree, the dragoon aspects of this story somewhat mirror Unorthodox's timeline and will reference both the MSQ and it. Also still hard to get inside Estinien's head, but I gave it my best shot!)
> 
> \------------------

               The boy was getting on his nerves.

               The ice queen was getting on his nerves.

               All the dragons around him were getting on his nerves. 

               And the now-present Augustine was working his nerves.  Suppressing the urge to growl, along with the desire to reach out and stab something (preferably either scaled, silver haired wearing blue robes, or black-haired and wearing gray armor), Estinien made himself look over the ruined courtyard.  The ice queen was off to the side, speaking to a blue dragonet, while the Warrior of Light and the boy were talking with Augustine, Silent Jewel, and D’rhen.  If he dared to look up, he would see two dragons perched on a ledge, glaring down at him, if he looked behind, there was a wyvern watching him as well.  Estinien had no doubt that if he even so much as moved the wrong way, there would be a fight.  Not that he wouldn’t mind a fight.  He needed one.  Anything to distract his mind from the memories of his brother that the boy brought up, listening to the heretic queen’s blasphemy, or his musings over the Warrior of Light…

 _No, no, no, not going there, not going there…_ Estinien bared his teeth _.  Stop. Think.  Something else._   The fact that there was a dragon-colony so close to the Ishgardian border, for example.  It had taken them an orn’s walk from Tailfeather, and the Ishgardian border was technically a half orn’s walk from the hunter’s outpost.  He needed to let the Order know.  They could probably increase patrols on the border…

 _Is that a good idea however?_   Out of the corner of his eye, Estinien saw a trio of dragonets fly over at top speed to the Warrior of Light and her companions.  The dragoon hadn’t seemed much of the ruined towers but based on what he’d seen flying in and out and on the ground…it all was mostly baby dragons and parents.  And given how very young the dragonets looked, the adults seemed as if they weren’t interested in fighting.  The few names he’d picked up as well weren’t familiar—in fact, this group of dragons claimed ancestry from Nidhogg’s brother.

 _Hraesveglr…_ A dragon that the Holy See had little to no information on.  He featured predominantly in the story of the heretic saint Shiva and had gone into hiding at the start of the war.  _I suppose this whole mess has another good aspect, this information will be invaluable…_ Another movement caught the dragoon’s eye.  The boy was gesturing for him to walk over.  Unfolding his arms, Estinien obeyed, feeling the eyes of the dragons on him as he moved.

                “Ser Wrymblood.  Apologizes, we should have included you in our conversation…”  Estinien shook his head.

                “Tis fine.”  With rising annoyance, he noted that Augustine was standing a bit too close to the Warrior of Light.  Again.  “I assume this is about the primal?”

                “Yes.  We’re…”  The boy rubbed the back of his head. 

                “We’re normally a bit more organized.”  The Warrior of Light said.  She laced her fingers together, a pensive look on her features.  “Though the last thing I was expecting was to deal with another primal.”

                “Honestly, the reason why we decided to trail you was because we trust her…”  Augustine jerked his head towards Ysayle, who was now talking with another dragon.  “As far as any of us could throw her.”  His gaze flicked over Estinien.  “In fact, you need to be more mindful of your personal safety, my lady.”  Underneath his visor, Estinien blinked.

_Wait a minute.  Did he just-_

                “We can follow you back to Tailfeather and stay there while you gather information.”  D’rhen said, his tail twitching.  “In fact, considering that this area has a crystal as well, we can port back and forth easily enough.”  Estinien continued staring at Augustine.

                “What about Nidhogg?”  Silent Jewel asked.  With effort, Estinien turned his mind away from dropping the free-paladin off someplace very high-preferably a dragoon-perch atop the Vault—and turned his attention to the Eye.  With a shock, he realized that he could sense Nidhogg again-at a distance.

                “He’s aware of us.” While he delivered the statement calmly, Estinien was inwardly reeling.  He had never, ever not fully ignored the Eye before.  He always had to be attuned to it, to resist both it’s allure and to understand what information it could provide.  A chill snaked over the elezen as he realized how long it had passed since he’d dared commune with the eldritch orb. 

                _They’ve distracted me!_

                “Well that’s good.”  The healer said, crossing her arms.  “In fact, that’s the goal, isn’t it?  The more he fixes on you and his eye, the more time Ishgard has to create new defenses.” The Warrior of Light nodded.

                “The overall goal is to try and sue for peace.”  The boy said, gesturing.  “But Ishgard being able to do as such is also helpful.”

                “Durante and the others can be at Tailfeather in another two orns.”  Augustine said.  “Then we can just stay there until you give us the word that we need to fight or if somehow…”  He shrugged.  “Things can be resolved peacefully.”

                “You have my thanks, Augustine.”  The Warrior of Light said.  Her shoulders sagged.  “I’m also sorry for making you worry…”  The other three shook their heads.

                “If anything, we should be apologizing for disobeying a direct order from you.”  D’rhen began.  “But…”  He trailed off.  “It’s as Augustine said.  You must be more careful with your personal safety.”

                “We’ve sworn oaths to protect you, my lady.”  Augustine said. 

                “Your lady is most capable of protecting herself.”  Estinien snapped, finding that he couldn’t stay silent.  The paladin’s gaze flicked back to him, and Estinien noticed that one eye was green, while the other was blue.

              “She is.  But it never hurts to be too careful.”  Augustine answered.  His tone was just a little too smooth, and Estinien bristled.  He was being baited, he recognized it, and he should probably ignore it.  In fact, he needed to ignore everything, there’d been too many distractions, most of them coming from a small brown-haired woman who couldn’t be his type, everything was just coincidence…

             “We’ll back away, so you can speak with the lady Iceheart.”  Silent Jewel said.  The Warrior of Light nodded, turning around and waving a hand.

             “Ysayle!”  She called.  Estinien continued glaring darkly at Augustine, crossing his arms.  The free-paladin had mirrored the movement, narrowing his eyes at the dragoon.  Then he nodded to the Warrior of Light who had turned around just in time to catch the look on his face.  The brunette tilted her head, but before she could speak the female elezen came up to the group.

            “Have you all decided?”


	8. Reality (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Warrior of Light begins to learn some hard truths about Estinien's position among the Knights-Dragoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (So more theorycrafting on my end for this chapter. It's implied in game that the very first Azure Dragoon died due to the stress and strain of one (or both) of the Eyes (can't remember) placed upon him. Based on that, I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that any dragoon who took up the position of Azure would probably find themselves looking at a drastically shortened life-span. Not only are they dealing with the stresses of the title and all that it holds, but add in Nidhogg's power to the continual struggle for control with an inner dragon, not to mention possible physical hurts and maybe PTSD...
> 
> I attempted to have Augustine possibly give the 'Ishgardian' version of events/rumors regarding Alberic and the Eye, as there's also ingame evidence that when it came to major events, different theories would abound among the general population--I give you what happened with the Heavens' Ward for example. I also wanted to try and see if any references could be made to the main storyline for the DRG 30-50 questline, because if you play as any other character it's never really said on what happened. We don't know if Estinien ever learns the truth of Ferndale or if he did, how he reacted. I think he would have--plus, it's rather interesting that Estinien did end up taking over for Alberic as Azure Dragoon. There's no mention of a successor in between the two. Coincidence or perhaps another aspect of Nidhogg's long-simmering revenge?
> 
> Please enjoy. *bow*
> 
> \---------------------

                The trek back to Tailfeather was…not as quiet as the Warrior of Light had been hoping for.  Estinien and Ysayle had started bickering again, with Alphinaud dropping back to play referee.  Gritting her teeth and trying to block out the noise, the Warrior of Light nudged her chocobo so she could come up alongside Augustine.  The free-paladin looked at her.

                “My lady?”

                “Why are you baiting Estinien?”  D’rhen and Silent Jewel snorted, the former coughing to try and compose himself, the latter muttering something that sounded suspiciously like ‘pay up’.  “Do you two have some sort of past history, or…?”  Augustine shook his head.

                “No no!  As if the Azure Dragoon would associate with a lowly Temple Knight…”  Flushing, Augustine sighed.  Turning his head, he glanced briefly at the black and gold form of Estinien before looking back at the Warrior of Light.

                “At Camp Dragonhead we offered to help with some odd jobs here and there while the arrangements were being made for the next part of our journey.”  He began.  “Monster-culling, finding medicinal herbs…”

                “One of the monster hunts had us heading into the Steel Vigil.”  Silent said.  “We went in, started to make our way to the center, then…”  She snapped her fingers.  “The Echo triggered for all of us.”  The Warrior of Light’s eyes widened.

                “It was Ser Wrymblood.”  D’rhen continued.  “And he…was in a bad way.  Some sort of miasma was engulfing him, he was thrashing about as if he were having fits…”

                “And there was a dragon speaking.”  Augustine finished.  “It…I don’t know how long it had been going on for, but even in the vision you could feel the sheer power and rancor of the miasma.  He managed to fight it off, but it felt like a near miss.”  A chill that had nothing to do with the weather rippled though the Warrior of Light.

                _Merciful Twelve…_   “The Eye?”  She ventured.

                “He’d know better than me, but I’d bet good gil it was.”  D’rhen said, gesturing to Augustine.  The free-paladin nodded.

                “The Eye.”  He said softly.  “And behind it, Nidhogg.”

                “Might as well tell her the rest.”  Silent Jewel said.  “We also found out that the previous Azure Dragoon gave up the Eye because it was too much for him to bear.”  The Warrior of Light turned her gaze back to Augustine.

                “That’s the official story.  Unofficially…”  Augustine paused.  “This is before my time, my lady, but there were whispers and rumors that Ser Alberic Bale—the Azure before Ser Wrymblood-when he fought Nidhogg, he almost was possessed by him via the Eye.  Ser Bale was said to have panicked and threw away the orb, but in doing so lost the powers of the Azure.  And when he did that, the great wrym turned on a nearby village and annihilated it.  Only one person survived.”

                “Gods.”  The Warrior of Light whispered, lifting a hand to her mouth.  Augustine gave her a somber look.

                “You’re traveling with that same survivor.”  He jerked his head towards Estinien, and the Warrior of Light felt her stomach lurch.  “Whatever version of the story is the truth, it’s not known.  But Alberic gave up the mantle, adopted him, and became a trainer in the Knights Dragoon.”

                “And years later he has to watch his adopted son not only pick up his spear, but step right into his armor, dragon-eye and all.”  Silent set her teeth, hissing out a breath.  “Navigator!  I don’t think I’d have the balls for that, let alone the mind!”

                “You and I both.”  The Warrior of Light said.  Horror and pity had replaced the mixture of confusion and lust that had been inside her.  She couldn’t imagine watching one’s home being destroyed, not to mention surviving the ordeal, and then to be chosen to wield the power of the same enemy that had been responsible…

                “Do you think he could be possessed?”  D’rhen’s question snapped the Warrior of Light out of her musings.  “I don’t know the ways of your people well August, but that vision…”  The paladin sighed, looking down at his chocobo’s reins. 

                “I got a bad feeling from it, aye.  Azure Dragoons normally don’t last long to begin with.”  The Warrior of Light sucked in a breath, eyes widening.

                _Wait, did he just say…_ “Wait, what?!”  The Warrior of Light exclaimed.

                “What do you mean ‘normally don’t last long’?”  Silent demanded.  Augustine exhaled gustily.

                “Dragoons on a whole have a short lifespan.”  He said, looking at the trio.  “In fact, many of them die when they’re squires or first-years.  The ones that survive-year after year, they become deadlier and deadlier.  But they only can do so much…”  He gestured with a hand.  “They can serve for between seven to twelve years, and that’s also dependent on how fast their body starts to break down from all the physical activity-or their mind from all the stress and strain.  Add in the additional power of the Eye and…”  The paladin paused for several moments, and then continued.

                “Ser Bale’s predecessor died within a year of getting the Eye.  Ser Bale himself was two years into the position when he stepped down.  Ser Wrymblood’s going on two and a half years.  He might have a fair bit of time left, or a little…”

                “Define ‘a little’.”  The statement escaped the Warrior of Light before she could think it though.  A knot of fear was manifesting itself in her stomach-and she couldn’t find a reason for it.

                “The dragoons who are able to become the Azure normally die within two to four years.”  Augustine paused.  He knew how he sounded at that-cold, heartless, almost business-like.  It wasn’t on purpose, it was just…how things were in Ishgard.  Life had become cheap, especially for those who served in the military.  “Occasionally you have some who’ll give it up-Ser Alberic was the first one who did so in a while, but otherwise they’ll just…drop dead one day.  Then depending if the Eye reacts or not to the current dragoons, they’ll have trials for the replacement.”  Shifting his weight on his chocobo, Augustine continued. 

                “I’d actually just made captain when they announced the Eye was beginning to awaken.  The Holy See threw together those trials so quickly it made your head spin.  Everyone was nervous you see, because there hadn’t been an Azure for so long.”  The Warrior of Light turned her head to look back at Estinien.  The elezen was putting space between his chocobo and Ysayle’s. 

                _He looks and sounds so healthy now._   It was outside her sphere of imagination-to take on a position that one day could kill you without knowing.  For all the stresses she had as Hydaylen’s chosen, she at least had some general awareness of what could be fatal to her.  And despite everything that she’d put her body through, it still was in relative good shape.  As if sensing her gaze, Estinien turned his head.  The Warrior of Light quickly turned away, pressing her lips together.

                _If that isn’t a sign that you should keep it strictly professional…_   The Warrior of Light nodded to herself.  At the most, she could see him as a friend…a friend that one had to keep an eye on, but a friend nonetheless.  It was better that way.  For everyone. 

                _He’s a friend.  Well, hopefully a friend._   She would see him as such and ignore the temptation that lingered in the back of her thoughts-she’d starve it away.

                “Tailfeather ahead!” 


	9. Thaw (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Estinien gets a better look at the rest of the Warrior of Light's companions, and finds himself beginning to thaw towards Alphinaud...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Small note: Considering that it's implied Ishgard may practice it's own version of conjury via some text in a levequest, I figured it wasn't too far off base that the Church could have their own version of a paladin. Also please forgive any formatting errors, I wasn't on my primary computer when typing this out.)

                He’d chided the boy for being so quick to send the Warrior of Light to her possible death, and as a result the lad was a nervous wreck. Yet Estinien found that his belly was twisting in anxiety as well, something that was also mirrored in the body language of the other people who were nearby. The other Companions had finally caught up with their small band at Loth ast Vath. Just in time as well, for the Warrior needed their assistance to fight Ravana. But before that, she and Ysayle would present themselves as sacrifices, hoping that the Gnath would fall for their trickery and lead them straight to their god. 

                _And if that goes well, she’ll call for them…_ Estinien’s eyes flicked off to his left.  There was Augustine, D’rhen, Silent Jewel, and three other new arrivals. There had been a fourth, a small black-haired man, but he’d left to shadow the Warrior of Light and Ysayle, in case something went wrong. The silver knives that had gleamed at his waist spoke of much usage, and Estinien had been given the impression that one didn’t want to find themselves anywhere dark and alone with him. Needing something to occupy his mind (or rather distract from the anxiety that he had no reason to have, but he had it anyway), the Azure Dragoon fixed his attention on the group. Augustine was sharpening his sword by a small campfire. Next to him was a Wildwood elezen dressed in black and red armor, with jet black hair about his face. A massive greatsword was on his back, and his face was heavily scarred. His power had felt familiar, and it had jarred Estinien when he realized just what it was.

                _How in the **seven hells** did a dark knight become a **Companion**? _ Stories of Ishgard’s darkest defenders had made it all the way into the Highlands, and before he’d made Azure, Estinien had encountered one during a nighttime patrol in the Brume. The feeling of that almost unholy strain of darkness was hard to forget. 

                _A Halonic paladin and a dark knight._ He’d been able to somewhat peg Augustine down.  _Halone must be laughing at some private joke_. It’d helped Estinien that he’d spotted a ring on the Midlander’s right hand, his eyes picking out the insignia on it. Temple Knights who were particularly gifted in aether could be trained in the Church's divine arts. Rings were given to those who passed the training, and from what he'd seen of Augustine's fighting skills, he'd trained in Ishgard. The question was, what in the name of everything was the midlander doing outside of the gates? No way in the hells would the Holy See have allowed him to be where he currently was...pre-Vishap, of course. It was something to ask Aymeric when he returned to the city, and Estinien let his gaze move. Silent Jewel was speaking to another Roegadyn woman, who was dressed in green and white robes. A grimiore was on her lap, and a fairy-a fairy of all the bloody things!--was fluttering near her right shoulder.  Next to them was D'rhen, who was stretched out on the ground, eyes closed. A female Miqo'te stood nearby, pulling on her bowstring to make sure it was taunt. She was dressed in colorful leather armor, and had a hat perched rakishly on her head. 

                "Hatori?" Estinien's gaze snapped back to Augustine. The paladin had a hand up to his right ear, a look of concern on his features. "No, I can hear you now. Are you at the ca..." The paladin's face went white, his eyes widening.

                "What happened?" The elezen next to him demanded. 

                "Did something go wrong?" The boy demanded, rushing over. Estinien moved closer as the other Companions rose to their feet, Augustine with them.

                "Seven hells?! Is she alright?" The dark knight made a gesture but Augustine held up his free hand. "Understood. We're leaving right now. If the primal turns on her next do what you can to hold it off until we come."

                "Augustine?" Silent Jewel asked. The paladin looked at the group.

                "The plan worked-they're in the Gnath hive. Then Ysayle got the genius idea to channel aether from the crystals stashed there to channel Shiva and attack Ravana." He said.

                "What?!"  The boy exclaimed.

                "She's fighting the damn primal right now and it doesn't look good." Augustine spun on a heel, whistling for his chocobo. The other Companions raced for their mounts as well.

                "Can you get there in time?" Estinien looked at the boy-and wished he hadn't.  The lad was almost as white as his hair, eyes wide and dark with fear. 

                "If the ice queen doesn't last, then Hatori will be able to give her some support until we arrive."  Augustine said.  Pulling on his chocobo's reins, he nudged the bird into a run out of Loth ast Vath, the other Companions following him.  Estinien watched them leave, unable to stop himself from curling the fingers of his right hand into a fist at his side.

                _I knew that woman was not to be trusted!_ In front of him, the boy bowed his head.

                "Gods forgive me, if she dies it'll be my fault." He said, his voice barely above a whisper.  Estinien looked at him, and then blinked rapidly. For a second it hadn't been the slumped shoulders of a stranger he'd been looking at, but of his brother. 

_I'm sorry Estinien. I didn't mean to lose the sheep..._

"...Nay. It will not be your fault." The boy started, turning his head towards him. Estinien didn't know where the words were coming from, but suddenly he wanted to comfort the lad. For his clearly pampered upbringing, the boy had been trying his best throughout all of this. The lessons of the real world were the hardest for the ones who'd had an easy way of living, and it was how they rose to the challenges presented to them that showed their true character. "I was overly harsh. It did not occur to me that the Warrior is sometimes all that you have against the primal threat." The boy blinked in surprise, and then swallowed.

                "Even so. She can be hurt, and..." He paused. "She is too valuable to just be mindlessly used."

                "Boy I have a feeling that if you were 'mindlessly using' her, she'd flay your arse with one of those egis." Estinien cracked. He was rewarded with a shaky laugh from the boy. Unable to help himself, Estinien stepped forward to place a hand on one of the younger elezen's shoulders.

                _Distract the lad._ "Here, I imagine when they get back they're going to be exhausted. You know better than I how to take care of them, what needs to be done?" The boy squared his shoulders, looking up.

                "Ah..." Estinien pushed up the helm of his visor.

                "Well?" He said, trying to keep his voice...kind. Or maybe not so snappy. Either one would work. 

                "We need to get all the Ether potions out and ready. They'll need them..."

 


	10. Reality (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following Ravana's defeat, it's Estinien's turn to learn some hard truths about the Warrior of Light...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (So a slight throwback to the first Reality chapter, only now the shoe's on the other foot. I always found it a little unnerving that it's always portrayed that the Warrior of Light and those who fight with them more or less are able just to keep on moving forward after major battles. I know it's just the mechanics of gameplay, but I feel it always presents a 'what does happen?' scenario.
> 
> I indulged in some theorycraft-primarily on the Companions of Light. When you really sit down and think about it...the only way they're probably able to actually inflict damage on a primal is by channeling their Crystal's power, or already be weilding some pretty potent magical weaponry to begin with. Otherwise they're not going to be able to even make a scratch. The same goes for the armor as well...and then in that same vein, once the fight is done and the power's not needed any more? I'm pretty certain not only would there be a adrenaline crash, there'd be one hell of an aetherical one, possibly to the point where aetherical-sickness could come into play. Not to mention, having to channel that insane amount of power through armor and weaponry? I think it's a safe bet to say the Scions probably have very high blacksmithing bills.
> 
> The idea of the Dragonsong Dive demanding a great deal out of the dragoon I feel can be supported by the lorebook's own description--because it's not just the power of the inner dragon that the dragoon is calling upon, but their own training/power as well.
> 
> A thank you to autumnslance on tumblr for listening to me babble on about theorycraft!)
> 
> \----------------------

                They’d all just made it past the village gates before they started dropping like flies.  The last one to fall had been the Warrior herself, and it only had been Estinien’s speed that had caught her in time to prevent her head striking against a rock.  The Vath had scrounged up what supplies they could spare, and Estinien and Ysayle quickly converted the camping area into a makeshift infirmary.  There was no time for sniping or bickering, as some of the Companions were now in the grip of strong fevers.  Estinien took charge of the men while Ysayle took charge of the women.  In-between them Alphinaud moved with healing potions and ethers, giving the two older elezen directions on how to treat the fallen Companions and the Warrior of Light.

                 
  


                  “Merciful Shiva...”  Ysayle breathed, rocking back on her heels.  She’d just finished applying cold compresses to Silent Jewel and the other healer.  “And you say this happens every time they fight a primal?!”

                  “More or less.” Alphinaud replied.  Estinien picked up the greatsword of the dark knight, noticing cracks that had appeared in the weapon.  “The Echo protects them from primal influence, but they have to channel the power of their Crystal into their weapons and armor to both hurt the primal and protect themselves from its’ blows.  When the fight’s over, they let go of the power and then…”  He gestured to the bodies of the prone Companions and the Warrior of Light.  “This happens.”

                  “I had no idea.”  Ysayle whispered.  Estinien set down the sword, biting back a retort.  His gaze roamed the bedrolls, landing on the Warrior of Light.  The small brunette was curled up beneath the blankets, sweat beading on her forehead.  Noticing this, Ysayle got up and hurried to the hyur’s side.  Estinien looked at Alphinaud.

                  “Are they the only ones who that can aid her?” 

                  “No.  There are others…though we’ve not been able to track them down yet.”  Guilt crossed Alphinaud’s face before he inhaled sharply, attempting to compose himself.  Estinien looked away, pretending that he hadn’t seen the emotional slip.  

_…This may slow us down._   Or would it?  Nidhogg’s focus was turning back towards them-or rather specifically **_him_**.  And every day that the wyrm’s attention was focused on his eye, was another day Ishgard had to shore up it’s defenses. 

                 “How long will it take them to recover?”  Ysayle’s head popped up in surprise at the question, and Alphinaud turned to face the dragoon.

                 “If it’s like the other times, they’ll start to be more lucid tomorrow.”  He said, gesturing.  “Augustine and Durante are normally the first ones—they’ll rally enough to get the others to someplace with more care if needed.  It’s something that the rest of the Scions don’t like, considering it sets back their recovery, but Augustine and Durante have the training that they’re able to do it.”

                “I wouldn’t think about rushing this, dragoon.”  Ysayle’s voice was sharp. 

                “It’s a question that has to be asked, _my lady_.”  Estinien snapped back.  “We certainly need the Warrior of Light on her feet, and the others may be needed as well once we start to make further progress into the interior.”

                “…stop…”  The raspy sound cut off any retort Ysayle was about to make, and she looked down.  The Warrior of Light had opened her eyes, which were glassy with fever.

                “Please…just…”  She swallowed.  “stop…”

                “Hush, don’t speak.”  Ysayle soothed, summoning an ice aether to her palm and resting it on the hyur’s forehead.  Estinien felt his stomach twist sharply at how the Midlander looked.  Her skin was pale, and her hair was matted in dark clumps about her head due to all the sweat.  Alphinaud was suddenly at Ysayle’s side, offering a pink-colored potion.

                “Have her drink this.”  He said, worry on his features. 

                “After that, I need to change her bedding and clothes.  She’s soaked right through.”  A groan made Estinien turn his head.  Augustine had fought his way to wakefulness and was struggling to rise.

                “Oh no you don’t.”  Hurrying to the man’s side, Estinien expertly pushed him back down.  “Stay.”  The paladin’s bi-colored gaze fixed on him, and Estinien noted that his eyes were glassy as well.

                “Is…she…”

                “She’s being taken care of.  You need to rest.”  Up close, Estinien could sense the depth of the aetherical drain that had overtaken the hyur, and it was only his self-control that kept him from reeling physically in shock.  There was barely anything left-how the man wasn’t **_dead_** was beyond him.  With a groan Augustine submitted, swallowing through cracked lips.

                “Thirsty.”  He whispered.  Estinien looked around-spotting a jug of water with a nearby cup.  Pouring into the cup, he held the pottery to the paladin’s lips.

                “Slow.”  He directed, although his mind was reeling.  Was it like this every time they fought a primal, the Warrior of Light included?  She and the Companions had all seemed larger than life, invincible even. 

_This is possibly worse than what we go through!_ Dragoons could fall prey very easily to aether-sickness, simply because of the dragon-power that flowed through their veins.  The worst was when a dragoon performed the Dragonsong Dive, a brief spiritual and physical union of mortal and dragon that allowed the dragoon to channel all their aether into one devastating attack.  The dive demanded not only aether, but even in some cases the dragoon’s own vitality, or even their flesh and blood.  Once performed, the dragoon could no longer fight-and would have to be hospitalized for several days to recover.  As the Azure however, Estinien could at least stay functioning after performing a Dragonsong Dive…or at least long enough for him to get to the infirmary under his own speed.  A chill passed over the elezen as a thought occurred to him.

                _What happens if they don’t have anyone to help them?_   It was all too easy to picture, the Warrior of Light helpless with nobody to defend her.  And based on the all-too recent events in Thanalan, she had many enemies.  Defeating two of the Heavens’ Ward in combat certainly wouldn’t have endeared her to the more conservative citizens of Ishgard.  And while Ysayle had claimed that she had told her people to stand down, how could she be believed?  Or would some of the heretics not obey her? 

                _And then there’s you._   A small voice whispered _.  You almost lost control once, remember?  The reason why you’re so prickly at this man is that because he speaks the truth.  Nobody’s completely safe around you, not even her…_   Throttling back a growl, Estinien forced his attention back to the paladin.  Augustine had finished drinking what water he could and had fallen into a fitful slumber.  Setting down the mug, Estinien rose to his feet.  His gaze went once again to the Warrior of Light, lying very still beneath the covers of her bedroll.  The only movement that came from her was the rise and fall of her chest, which was a strange source of reassurance for Estinien.

                “Ser Wrymblood?”  Estinien snapped out of his daze, Alphinaud was standing some yalms away.  “Are you alright?”

                “I’m fine.”  Estinien’s voice was harsher than how he intended, and he found himself internally wincing.  “I’m going to backtrack to Trailfeather, they should have more healing supplies.  I shouldn’t be no more than three bells.”  And with that he turned his back and jumped for the nearest tree, trying to ignore the urge to stay and watch over the Warrior of Light.


End file.
